Protected birds of prey like the Golden Eagle continue to be illegally shot, trapped and poisoned in Scotland.
A new report by the RSPB, published on November 15, showed there were 108 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution throughout the UK. The animals are protected by law in the UK.
The Birdcrime study shows that in the last year, more than two thirds of all such incidents were linked to land managed for gamebird shooting. In Aberdeenshire, a poisoned golden eagle was found lying next to a dead hare laced with a deadly banned pesticide on a grouse shooting estate at the Cairngorms National Park.
